The present invention generally relates to a fluid control device, particularly to such a device which is to be included as a component of a fluid chromatography system.
Often a substance is produced, or is found, as a component of a complex mixture. Frequently, these mixtures will include other components which are not useful or may even be harmful. Thus, it is often necessary to fractionate the complex mixture so as to separate a sub-fraction containing the desirable component.
One of the ways that complex mixtures can be fractioned is by fluid chromatography. Fluid chromatography may be briefly described as the fractionation of components of a mixture based on differences in the physico/chemical characteristics of the components. The various fluid chromatographic systems fractionate the components, in effect, based on the different reaction rates of the components with a fractionation matrix. Some fluid chromatographic matrix systems fractionate the components of a mixture based upon such physical parameters as, for example, the molecular weight. Still other fluid chromatographic systems will fractionate the components of a mixture based upon such chemical criteria as, for example, ionic charge, hydrophobicity, and the presence of certain chemical moieties such as, for example, antingenic determinants or lectin-binding sites on the components.
In order to fully realize the maximum potential of such a system it is important to utilize as much as possible of the interaction area between the fluid and the fractionation matrix. Thus, one would like to have the incoming fluid distributed across the entire cross-sectional area of the fractionation matrix. If such a distribution is not created, streaming may occur and the core of the separating matrix may become saturated such that the reactions necessary to effectuate effective component separation may not occur.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,932 to McNeil discloses a fluid control device comprising an apertured plate and a series of four screens to radially distribute fluid in a liquid chromatography system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,608 to Ritacco uses a dispenser part in combination with a wire mesh screen and a sintered stainless steel disk to spread incoming fluid over the entire cross sectional area of a chromatography column.
The present invention is able to accomplish this goal using a single, low cost fluid control plate with radially outward channels formed on one side thereof and a mechanism associated with the plate to prevent streaming of the incoming fluid.